Kieron Gillen, Author at Comics Should Be Good! @ Comic Book Resources

When editing began on my new book, Why Does Batman Carry Shark Repellent? (which you can buy for yourself – just click on the image of the book on the right side of the screen!), my editor Kate had a tough time. I had submitted a whole lot more material than we had room for, so she had to make a whole lot of edits. When it came to cutting things, 90% of what was cut was my material as she naturally did not want to cut much from the comic book creators who were kind enough to contribute lists to the books. That said, some of the contributor lists did have cuts. Mostly stuff like instead of a top five list it became a top four list or instead of a top six it became a top four. That sort of thing. The list of Kieron Gillen (the great writer of books like Phonogram, Journey Into Mystery and Uncanny X-Men), though, probably was edited the most of all the contributor lists that made it into the book, especially the many hilarious asides that Kieron made in his original list. So I thought it would be a fun “Director’s Cut” type of thing to share with you Kieron’s original list, in all of its offbeat glory. So from here on out, it is Kieron’s writing. Enjoy! – BC

When asked for my comics secret origin, I normally say something like “I didn’t really read comics until I was in my twenties” because it’s easier that way, and also dodges a lot of awkward follow-ups. But it’s also a lie. I just didn’t read many comics when I was a teenager When I was a proper kid, with chirpy optimism and undescended gonads, I read whatever comics I could find. And even if I didn’t buy them as a teen, if they were left around, I’d totally have a good old flick. I’ll read anything, especially if it involves a dude’s head exploding in a suitably transgressive fashion. Or emotions. Always up for head-exploding and emotions, me.

Anyway – this is everything you need to know about five great British comic characters you probably won’t have heard of, unless you have, in which case well done you. I find you alluring. Yes, sexually. I’m going to try and choose ones which won’t have appeared in Zenith or Albion or in the corner of a panel in whatever League issue Moore’s putting out. Because talking about them is Jess Nevins’ job, and I’m no scab.